Issue - meetings

Report from the Section 151 Officer attached

A report from Councillor Thorpe, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation, was circulated ahead of the meeting. He provided a brief overview, explaining that the Council had received an unfavourable audit report and had developed an improvement plan in response. He noted that the work undertaken so far had already strengthened governance arrangements and created more robust decision?making structures.

Councillor Moss referred to page 31 of the report and asked about the workshop held in August. He queried the extent to which the outputs from that workshop were influencing the work of the Governance Boards, and whether the existence of multiple boards was genuinely improving the efficiency of decision?making or instead creating additional delays. In response, Councillor Thorpe reported that six?monthly reviews had been completed and that information from the Health and Safety Sub?Board showed that the new arrangements were not adding delays. Instead, they were elevating the quality of decision?making and providing stronger assurance. He emphasised that improvement is not a one?off exercise and that there remain areas of process that must continue to develop to improve outcomes for residents. He added that the time invested in the boards is an investment in better governance, and that the boards have already addressed key gaps and will continue to adapt as needed.

Councillor Moss then referred to Appendix 1, noting that many items on the tracker appeared to be marked as complete. He questioned whether this implied that the improvement plan was effectively finished, and how useful the tracker remained if the majority of its actions had already been delivered. Councillor Thorpe responded that although much progress had been made, the plan itself should not be seen as the final stage of improvement and further development work is expected.

Jacqui Dennis monitoring officer added that the boards are integral to ensuring good and efficient decision?making. She explained that the improvement plan had been put in place to address specific weaknesses identified during the audit, and that the boards now provide strong oversight, inputting at the right stages of the decision?making process. She confirmed that further work is expected to feed into the boards and that this will continue to align closely with Cabinet activity.

Councillor Moss asked whether there would be a further improvement plan in the future, noting that much depends on the findings of the external auditors when they return. Councillor Thorpe stated that the broader aim is to deliver better services for residents and that this work continues regardless of audit cycles.

Councillor Vernon asked whether the improvement plan would end once the auditors return or if the work would continue. Councillor Thorpe noted that some of the auditor’s conclusions may be subjective and that further action might still be required depending on their assessment.

The committee acknowledged the progress made so far and the continuing work to strengthen governance and decision?making across the organisation.

It Was agreed:

·       Update be noted

Report from the Section 151 Officer attached

The Section 151 Officer presented a report providing the third update on activity and delivery against the action plan with the previous updates being brought in April and July 2025 and highlighting the improvement work that has been carried out by the Assurance Boards. In addition to the work carried out by the Boards there have been Council wide briefings, Senior Management sessions and Strategic Leadership Team engagement with the improvement work and compliance sprints.

The Action Plan was set out and it was explained that there continues to be progress made within the expected target date.

The plan was split into the following areas:

a.    Financial Resilience – All actions are on track or complete. The Finance Board continues to be run monthly overseeing the key milestones in the Improvement work plan. At September, the Board was updated on the opportunities from the zero based budget longlist and Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) risk areas to be considered along with the immediate actions and budget timetable with the revised list of budget options to come back to the next board. This will then be on track for delivery of the MTFS, this matter will be considered by Cabinet at their meeting in November.

b.    Finance Capacity and Transformation - With regards to Phase 1, job adverts are currently live for the strategic lead level roles, with the next tier down due to be advertised imminently. For Phase 2 – the completed work from the Zero Based Budgeting project has informed the structure required going forward, the job descriptions and consultation have been drafted with view to consultation going live in November.

c.    Governance and Compliance including Estate Management and Leadership and Governance Arrangements - All of these actions are now complete with assurance of delivery of the wider Improvement Work Plan being held with the Property and Estates Board

Those present were given to opportunity to ask questions or make comments and the following points were raised:-

·         Councillor Hook referred to the Asset Register and asked whether the delay in relation to the valuations had impacted the External Auditors work.

The S.151 Officer explained that the delay had been due to external valuers and had impacted on the production of the accounts but this wasn’t part of the action plan.

·         Councillor Hook asked whether the valuation should have been included.

It was advised that the key action was to have 1 reconciled register which was now in place.

The Monitoring Officer explained that all of the Assurance Boards have produced forward plans and produce highlight reports which feed into the Exec Team and 6 month reviews are carried out.

·         Councillor Hook asked whether it would be possible to receive a priority list of what the highest priorities are and the work that is being undertaken by each Board to show they are being met.

The Monitoring Officer reported that the work was not 6 months and then done, it was a rolling plan and was about how the assurance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98